Apparatus for continuous melting of sugar

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for continuous melting of sugar of the sweet manufacturing, whereby sugar is fed continuously in a thin layer between heated faces maintained at a distance determining the thickness of the layer, which comprises two closed members formed as cylinders or cones defining two cylinder- or cone-jacket faces and disposed spaced apart from each other. Means are provided for rotating at least one of the members about its longitudinal axis and driver means extend from the faces into the space defined therebetween and are adapted to feed the sugar during its melting process from the entrance to the exit.

United States Patent Niebisch [451 Sept. 12, 1972 [54] APPARATUS FORCONTINUOUS MELTING OF SUGAR [72] Inventor: Gunter Niebisch, Hannover-Bemerode, Germany [73] Assignee: Otto Hansel GmbH, Hannover,

Germany [22] Filed: June 9, 1969 [21] Appl. No.: 831,679

[52] U.S. Cl. ..165/64, 165/86, 165/141 [51] Int. Cl ..F25b 29/00 [58]Field of Search ..165/86, 87, 141, 64; 127/22 [56] References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS 2,445,115 7/1948 Hanrahan ..165/156 1,949,374 2/1934 Johnson. ..165/87 2,066,480 l/1937 McKernall ..165/87 PrimaryExaminer-Charles Sukalo Att0rney-Ernest G. Montague [57] ABSTRACT Anapparatus for continuous melting of sugar of the sweet manufacturing,whereby sugar is fed continuously in a thin layer between heated facesmaintained at a distance determining the thickness of the layer, whichcomprises two closed members formed as cylinders or cones defining twocylinderor cone-jacket faces and disposed spaced apart from each other.Means are provided for rotating at least one of the members about itslongitudinal axis and driver means extend from the faces into the spacedefined therebetween and are adapted to feed the sugar during itsmelting process from the entrance to the exit.

1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figures APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS MELTING OF SUGAR Thepresent invention relates to an apparatus for continuous melting ofsugar, in particular of crystal sugar, which is to be used for theproduction of sugar melts, which are used in the sweets manufacturingfor instance for fk'rokant masses, caramelized masses, and others. 7

It is already known to melt continuously sugar and to work the same tospun formations or to bands. Likewise it is known to feed through sugarcontinuously in a thin layer between two heated faces maintained at adistance determining the thickness of this layer. The heated facesdefine thereby a vertically disposed passing split, therebetween whichis fed from a storage container with sugar. At the other end the facesform a nozzle like mouthpiece, through which the molten sugar mass isfed away in a thin fleece on a conveyor belt and moved away thereon.

All these known devices have the drawback of a bad control possibility.Furthermore they are only applicable for a limited output andparticularly subject to disturbances, because the sugar can clog upeasily the thin passing split between the faces.

It is one object of the present invention to provide an apparatus forcontinuous melting of sugar which avoids the drawbacks of the knowndevices.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a methodof .continuous melting of sugar which permits a continuous melting ofsugar in the permanent operation, without occurring clogging and otherdisturbances.

. It is furthermore another object of the present invention to providean apparatus for continuous melting of sugar, wherein the faces betweenwhich the sugar is passed assume the form of a member consisting of aclosed cylinderor conejacket face and wherein at least one member turnsabout the cylinderor coneaxis, however, into the intermediate spacesbetween the two faces drivers are arranged extending between the twofaces, which feed the sugar during its melting process from its entranceto its exit. In this manner the totally fed sugar quantities are forcedthrough the melting apparatus.

Preferably the heated coneor 'cyIinder-- jacket faces form therebetweena passage split inclined towards the exit of the mass. In order toprevent already at the entrance side any stoppage, the jacket of thefilling funnel is equipped with cooling elements or inserted in acooling means circuit.

Suitably the apparatus comprises a cone or conus, which is surrounded bya corresponding conical outer jacket spaced apart from each other,whereby the jacket faces pointing towards each other are heatable. Inorder to variate the thickness of the passage split, the conus and theouter jacket are axially displaceable relative to each other. At leastone of the two parts is equipped with a rotary drive. The totalarrangement is about vertically disposed, whereby on the upper side afilling funnel for the sugar to be molten an opening towards the passagesplit is provided.

In accordance with the present invention the heating elements applied inthe apparatus and the drives for the parts of the melting apparatuscooperating with each other are controllable in wide limits, so that themelting process can be influenced in any selected manner. The passagetime of the sugar is variable by the variation of the drive speed of thecone and/or of the outer jacket, the layer strength, however, by more orless strong moving towards each other of the cone and outer jacket.Suitably, the drivers projecting into the passage split for furthermoving of the sugar are formed of helically formed guide faces or edges,which are disposed either on the jacket face of the cone or the innerface of the outer jacket or on both. With its outer face the drivers ordriving edges engage the oppositely disposed heating face, so that theyform stripers for the sugar mass.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent in thefollowing detailed description, the present invention will be clearlyunderstood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an axial section through a melting apparatus formed by aninner cone and an outer jacket; and

FIG. 2 is a similar axial section as disclosed in FIG. 1, yet showinganother embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly. to FIG. 1, the meltingapparatus is disposed adjacent a filling funnel 1, the walls of whichare equipped with cooling chambers 2. These chambers 2 are connected bymeans of a feeding conduit 3 and an exit conduit 4 to a cooling meanscircuit. A conical jacket 5 is attached to the about horizontallydisposed bottom plate of the funnel I, which conical jacket 5 isequipped with an electric heating device 6 at its inside, which heatingdevice 6 is connectable to an electric conduit 16.

Inside of the outer jacket 5 and 6 is likewise provided a conical insertor cone 7, the jacket face of which has likewise a heating insert 14,which is connectable to the current feed by means of the electricconduit 15. The cone 7 fits on an axle 8 and is driven by means ofdriving gears 9 and 10 by a suitable drive or driving motor. Theperipheral speed of the cone 7 is controllable in this manner. On theother hand the cone with its driving axle in is actually displaceable inthe outer jacket 5 and 6, whereby the thickness of the passing split canbe adjusted. The filling funnel 1 terminates into this passage split andsurrounds the upper part of the cone 7 projecting beyond the outerjacket 5, so that the sugar fed into the filling funnel 1 is equallydistributed over the periphery of the cone.

On the outside 11 of the cone 7 are provided screwlike projections 12.The screw turns 12 are rectangular in cross section and engage in formof a striper on the inner running face of outer jacket 5 and 6, so thatbetween the two heating faces of the outer jacket and of the cone ahelically shaped passage channel of a rectangular cross section isformed, through which the sugar to be molten is forced during therotation of the cone 7. Independently therefrom, also a further passagecan be formed, by displacing the cone to a certain length relative tothe outer jacket 5 downwardly.

The total arrangement sits above a collecting container or a conveyorbelt or the like. The crystallized sugar is fed continuously into thefunnel 1 and molten between the heating faces. The molten sugar massemerges at the underside of the apparatus in the shown direction of thearrow between the cone 7 and the outer jacket 5. By control of theheating or the particular speed of the cone the desired state of themolten sugar can be set. Thus for instance the stay of the sugar in themelting apparatus can be retarded such, that already the carmelizing orbrowning of the molten sugar is obtained.

In the arrangement in accordance with FIG. 2 also the outer jacket isrotatable relative to the feeding funnel 1', 2, 3 and 4. It has for thispurpose at the upper edge a flange 18 equipped with a gearing 19 on theunderside. A pinion gear 20 of the driving motor 21 engages the gearing19.

Beyond that, screw turns 12' are likewise provided on the inner jacketface of the outer jacket 5, which screw turns 12 form a passing conveyorchannel 13'. The screw turns 12' engage the corresponding turns 12 ofthe cone 7.

In this embodiment of the apparatus further control 1. An apparatus forcontinuous melting of sugar of 25 the sweet manufacturing, whereby sugaris fed continuously in a thin layer between heated faces maintained at adistance determining the thickness of said layer,

comprising two closed members formed as cones defining two cone jacketfaces and disposed spaced apart from each other, means for rotating atleast one of said members about its longitudinal axis, driver meansextending from said jacket faces into the space constituting a passagedefined between said jacket faces and being adapted to feed said sugarduring its melting process from an entrance to an exit portion of saidpassage, said two closed members comprise an upright disposed cone and aconical outer jacket surrounding said cone, said cone and said jacketbeing axially adjustable relative to each other, a rotary driveconnecting at least one of said members, means for heating said jacketfaces of at least one of said members, a filling funnel opening towardssaid space defined between said cone and said jacket for the sugar, saidfilling funnel having a filling funnel jacket, cooling elements disposedin said filling funnel jacket, and a cooling means circuit in which saidcooling elements being disposed.

1. An apparatus for continuous melting of sugar of the sweetmanufacturing, whereby sugar is fed continuously in a thin layer betweenheated faces maintained at a distance determining the thickness of saidlayer, comprising two closed members formed as cones defining two conejacket faces and disposed spaced apart from each other, means forrotating at least one of said members about its longitudinal axis,driver means extending from said jacket faces into the spaceconstituting a passage defined between said jacket faces and beingadapted to feed said sugar during its melting process from an entranceto an exit portion of said passage, said two closed members comprise anupright disposed cone and a conical outer jacket surrounding said cone,said cone and said jacket being axially adjustable relative to eachother, a rotary drive connecting at least one of said members, means forheating said jacket faces of at least one of said members, a fillingfunnel opening towards said space defined between said cone and saidjacket for the sugar, said filling funnel having a filling funneljacket, cooling elements disposed in said filling funnel jacket, and acooling means circuit in which said cooling elements being disposed.